Voter ID sound practice

By framing voter ID laws as racist, as Trevor Noah, Eric Holder, Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren have done, any rational argument in favor of a sensible law ensuring that the voting process is kept fully transparent is swept aside by ideologues pursuing pure political points. With polls showing that nonwhites overwhelmingly support voter ID laws, how can an objective observer reach any other conclusion? In America today, if you were to open a bank account, rent a car, check into a hotel, fly commercial, enter a federal building or apply for Social Security benefits or unemployment assistance, you will need to present a photo ID. This ID requirement fails to present an insurmountable hurdle to those pursuing these activities everyday, so why shouldn’t the process of voting be held to a similar standard? Isn’t voting at least as important as applying for Social Security benefits? There has long been a practice of keeping certain constituencies in the fold of the Democratic Party by falsely claiming advocacy on their behalf. On this issue, nonwhite voters may soon realize that Noah, Holder, Biden and Warren are more interested in self-preservation than in truly advocating for an increase in minority voter turnout. That these national figures don’t realize how cynical they appear on this issue should concern the very constituents they purport to champion.

— Sean F. Flaherty, Charlestown